A variety of insulating structures that contain high temperature resistant ceramic fiber, typically in blanket form, have been found to be useful in the heavy metals industries, such as the steel industry. For example, a cover has been proposed, such as a cover for a ladle, that includes a metal mesh top with ceramic fiber secured under the metal mesh. Thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,473 there is disclosed a cover for a ladle or the like which has ceramic fiber, typically in blanket form, and made from fiber such as alumina-silica ceramic fiber, with the ceramic fiber being fastened to the metal mesh. The cover can be provided with an outer rigid edge for resting upon an upper surface of a heated vessel such as a ladle. Moreover, legs depending from such an edge can be useful for aligning the cover with the aperture of the vessel.
It would be desirable to assemble a cover structure that can not only have the strength and durability required of such structures for repeated mill use, but which would also provide ease of fiber repair. Nevertheless, such cover, even for rounded sections, should provide an efficient seal for retaining heat in the vessel.